Nothing Is Everything: A Ella&Rumpelstiltskin
by The Narnian Phantom Stallion
Summary: AU: Ella has endured harsh treatment from her stepmother Tremaine and stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella almost all her life. What happens when Rumpelstiltskin appears and offers to help her?  Rated T for physical abuse such as whipping and beating.
1. Chapter 1

**Everybody on this category know me for my story Golden. My Rumpelstiltskin/Rapunzel story. Well I'm a little stuck so I decided to write something to get unblocked.**

**For a while I've been wanting to write a Rella story :D I saw only one on fanfiction and there should be more. I've always thought there's some chemistry between the two. I based this off the Disney movie and Ever After in some elements. The names are Disney's and the way Lady Tremaine acts is more like Ever After.**

**This is rated T. I'm not going to rate it M even though some might think it should be because of Ella's mistreatment. There are no sexual scenes or swearing. **

**I'm still trying to come up with actual plots for this story. I don't really have any just yet so ideas are welcome. But I can tell you this is definitely an AU.**

'Nothing is Everything'

(A Ella/Rumpelstiltskin Story)

Chapter 1:

"Ella!" screamed a rather annoying voice from upstairs.

"Cinderella!" sounded another voice.

"Get up here, girl!" went the shrill voice of Ella's stepmother Tremaine.

The other two voices were those of her stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella.

"Coming!" Ella blew a fallen strand of hair out of her face as she made herself balance three trays of breakfast and tea for each. She was late this morning in getting everything ready.

She didn't know how she managed so much balancing but she knew if she didn't hurry up she would be punished severely by Lady Tremaine. The woman had married Ella's father when

Ella was just 6 years old. The marriage had been short lived when Lewis Silver died of a heart attack. Ever since Tremaine had shown Ella her true colors.

Tremaine forced her to live in the attic upstairs. She had taken everything Ella owned and gave it to her daughters. For Lewis Silver had been very rich and lavished his little girl. Ella had nothing but rags and servant clothing to wear after that. She slept on a bed of scratchy straw in a small cramped space.

Ella was nothing but a servant from then on. They had had another servant to help Ella until she turned 12 and then they got rid of the elderly servant.

Ella woke up at 5 a.m. and didn't go to sleep usually until well over midnight sometimes. She was always exhausted but she knew she couldn't complain. From experience she knew not to complain about anything lest she be whipped which always left her unable to sleep on her back or side. Not to mention it added pain to her house duties. She was very bony only able to eat the leftovers. Most of the time she didn't have the time to eat.

"Well it's about time!" Anastasia complained as Ella opened the bedchamber door with her leg. Ella didn't answer and simply placed the tray on the bedside table.

"I need you to clean my chambers, Cinderella. The drapes are also very dusty. I suggest you clean them. I have an engagement to go to." Anastasia prattled on.

Ella nodded curtly, curtsying and walked out to Drizella's chamber.

"Cinderella! When I say I want my breakfast I mean now. Not 30 minutes or an hour later! I mean NOW," Drizella practically screamed at Ella, making her ears bleed as she sat Drizella's tray on the bedside table.

"Yes, Drizella," Ella curtsied, mentally rolling her eyes.

"I have laundry for you to do, and make sure you don't turn my undergarments pink again!" Drizella gestured to a basket by the door.

Ella picked it up and went out to deliver Lady Tremaine's tray.

"Dear, girl, you are delayed once again," Tremaine sighed with a stony glance at Ella.

"It won't happen again. I promise," Ella's heart sped up at the expression on the Lady's face. She knew what was coming.

"Indeed not, or you will find yourself being whipped again." Tremaine sniffed as she took the teacup from the tray and took a sip. She frowned then and slammed the teacup down. If she had been any rougher it would have shattered. "This tea is cold."

Ella's eyes widened, "I-I."

"Silence!" Tremaine snapped. "When I ask for tea, I want it to be hot. Is that so hard for you to do?"

"No, Mistress," Ella clumsily curtsied and tried to escape.

"Not so fast, Cinderella."

Ella turned around and hid a gulp.

"As punishment for not having breakfast come on time and having my tea cold as ice you will be punished," Tremaine began, "First I want you to get me some more tea and this time it better be hot. When you come back and after I drink my tea you are to be whipped and then clean the house all over again as yesterday.

"Everything is already spotless!" Ella said before she realized what she was doing.

Lady Tremaine glared at her. "Do as I say you will have more than 10 strikes!"

Ella hurried away quickly to get the tea. Tears began to fill her eyes. She never did anything right and if she did she still got punished. She was nothing to her stepmother and stepsisters and probably never would be anything to anyone else.

By the time she had gotten the water to boil and got the tea ready, fixed the tray and headed up the stairs once again. Lady Tremaine had finished breakfast and was fully dressed. She usually waited longer but today she was dressed early.

Ella knew exactly what that meant. She trembled slightly as she sat down the tray and took the tray of cold tea and empty breakfast dishes.

"Meet me in the stable when you get done collecting and washing breakfast dishes," was all Lady Tremaine said.

Ella fled out of the chamber.

Ella was shaking when she got to the stable door. She was never prepared for the pain of being whipped or beat.

"I'm waiting," Lady Tremaine called from inside.

Ella's legs wobbled as she made her way toward the back of the stable. Lady Tremaine was already holding the horse whip.

Ella stopped in front of her and slowly undid the back of her dress, her fingers trembling.

"Hurry up, girl. I have better things to do today. Honestly, you're always so slow and clumsy!" Tremaine huffed.

Finally Ella undid her last button and turned to face the wall. She closed her eyes shut tight and willed herself not to scream, but she knew she would.

Lady Tremaine wasted no time then and sent the whip down on Ella's bareback, earning a scream from her stepdaughter.

"This will teach you to not take so long!"

_Another strike._

Ella cried out, tears streaming her face. No one cared what happened to her. She knew one day her stepmother would whip her to death. No one was going to save her from this misery.

"No more cold tea!"

_A harder strike._

Ella screamed out in agony.

"And stop being so stupid!"

_Strike._

Ella screwed her eyes shut and took the pain. She could feel the welts forming and blood.

"You miserable excuse of a daughter!" Tremaine was shouting.

_Strike._

"Clumsy!"

_Strike._

"You'll never be worthy of being called my daughter!"

_Strike._

"You killed my Lewis!" Lady Tremaine accused. Of course this wasn't true but she wanted to blame it on Ella. She hated his daughter so much because Lewis had always told Ella she looked like her Mother. Lewis had never stopped loving Ellen his first wife.

_Strike, strike, strike._

Ella screamed and slumped to the hay floor in pain and exhaustion.

Lady Tremaine didn't say anything as she walked out leaving the whip against a hay bale.

Ella didn't bother to button up her ragged dress. It would hurt too much.

"Somebody please help me." She whispered to herself quietly, starting to sob. She couldn't take this life anymore. It was too much.

Ella stayed in the stable for hours not caring what the others thought.

…unknown to her a pair of golden brown eyes watched her….

**Review! I need all the reviews and ideas I can get. **


	2. Chapter 2

**In this chapter I have introduced Storybrooke. Gold may seem a little OOC but you will see why later in the story. He does remember in this story.**

**Ashley is not pregnant and there is no Sean or Belle.**

Chapter 2:

"Cinderella, you ungrateful, and miserable wench, where have you been?" Lady Tremaine snapped as Ella came back in the house over an hour after being whipped and left.

Ella knew she didn't really have an answer to give that wouldn't give her another good whipping so she stayed quiet.

"Why haven't you cleaned my chamber yet?" Anastasia griped, looking vexed at her stepsister.

Drizella wasn't anywhere to be seen. At this Ella was extremely glad. Out of the three Drizella had the biggest and loudest mouth.

At this point Ella couldn't take anymore then what Tremaine and Anastasia threw at her.

"Get to work! Anastasia time to go. Our carriage is waiting," Tremaine snapped and went out the door.

Anastasia sent a sneer toward Ella before flouncing out the door.

Ella sighed and went to straighten Anastasia's chamber and yanked the drapes down to wash with Drizella's laundry.

By the time she had done that it was 3 o'clock and she still had to clean the whole place.

Their house was like an oversized cottage. It wasn't exactly a mansion but it was still a lot to clean.

Every time she bent over she cried out or hissed in pain. It seemed Tremaine's whippings were getting harder and harder each time.

If only she could runaway and never return to this miserable place. She had never tried to runaway before for fear of what would happen if she were caught.

"Nobody is here. I could go right now and they'd never catch me." Ella swept harder then. If only she could finish the cleaning she could make a run for it.

She was almost done with the sweeping so she finished it furiously; ignoring the pain that it caused her back.

She had accidently turned the sheets pink again but of course it wouldn't matter after this. She wouldn't be there to get slapped by Drizella or Anastasia.

Ella quickly put the broom back where it belonged and then went up the flights of stairs to get to her attic room.

Hastily she began to throw what little bit of things she owned in a sack. Two rag dresses, a few undergarments, and a pair of worn shoes. Ella didn't have any jewelry or anything sentimental. She didn't even have any food or bedroll but at least she would have freedom.

"Why such a hurry, Dearie?" a voice sounded from across the room.

Ella shrieked and dropped her sack. "Wha-? Who's there?"

The voice giggled and Ella swung around to look in the direction of it. There was nothing there. What was this? Was she hallucinating?

"Running away are we?" the voice said again in a different direction.

"Show yourself!" Ella said shakily picking up her sack and clutching it to her chest.

"Very well," the voice giggled again almost gleefully.

Ella's eyes widened as a very lean man came into her view. He wasn't very tall and his hair was dark brown with golden streaks in it. His eyes were golden brown. Only the most unusual thing about this man was his skin which was greenish gray-gold.

She had never seen anyone like that before.

"Who are you?" Ella asked cautiously.

He grinned showing crooked yellow teeth. He bowed, "Rumpelstiltskin." He drew the name out on his tongue.

Ella didn't know who he was and how he got up there. Only that he was a stranger and needed to leave.

She scowled at him, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to help you, Dearie," Rumpelstiltskin purred, beginning to circle her like she was his prey.

"I don't need help, I'm plenty capable of taking care of myself," Ella protested staring him right in the eyes as he walked around her.

"I see," Rumpelstiltskin put his index finger to his chin in a thinking motion. "That's why you have giant welts and various bleeding cuts all over your back from being whipped." It wasn't a question.

Ella inhaled sharply in surprise, "How do you know that?"

He stopped circling her. "I've been watching you Cinderella."

"You've been watching me?" Ella gasped in surprise.

"Only today actually. Oh but, trust me dear heart. It was enough to see what kind of life you lead."

Ella blinked. "W-why?" She was at a loss of words. Who would even care or really know about her. She was nothing…a nobody!

"I want to make a deal with you," Rumpelstiltskin smirked then.

Ella furrowed her eyebrows, "A deal?"

Rumpelstiltskin clasped his hands together. "Yes, Dearie. Now tell me, what do you wish for most?"

"To be free," Ella said before thinking. She didn't really have to think. It was all she had ever wished for all her life after her father died.

"Then all I ask for is your companionship and—for you not to runaway yet," Rumpelstiltskin said.

Ella stared at him, "What do you mean companionship?"

"You are to let me visit you whenever I please." He explained. "Do we have a deal?" Rumpelstiltskin giggled.

Ella didn't have to think twice. This man was offering her freedom. Even if he seemed strange he was her ticket to freedom. She wasn't going to let it go either.

"Deal" she confirmed.

_~In StoryBrooke~_

"You stupid girl! You've ruined my favorite blouse! I paid over a hundred dollars for it!" Elizabeth screamed at Ashley.

"Ashley!" Trudy, Ashley's stepmother shouted from the kitchen.

"I'm coming," Ashley called cringing. Nothing she ever did was right. She was clumsy and couldn't do anything. She was called stupid and crazy all the time. Trudy had made Ashley slave over her and her daughters Elizabeth and Amy ever since her father died. Trudy blamed Ashley for Jordan Boyd's car crash.

Jordan had been driving little Ashley to ballet practice one day and a car ran a red light hitting their car.

The wreck had been fatal for Jordan Boyd but Ashley survived. ..If barely. Trudy from then on hated Ashley and blamed her for his death.

Ashley never wanted to anger her stepmother too much. She hardly had to do anything and she was beaten or slapped by both Trudy and her stepsisters.

"You lazy, ungrateful brat. You forgot to get the bread out of the oven. Now its black as charcoal!" Trudy snapped.

Ashley paled visibly as she saw the pan of bread in the sink. "I will make more."

"No you won't yet! Go put the tea set on the table in the living room for me. I need a break."

_A break from what? _Ashley mentally rolled her eyes. Trudy Boyd never did anything. She was so rich she only had to work one day a week.

No one would know Ashley came from a rich family. All her clothes had holes in them.

Ashley quickly got to work on the tea. She had to be quick at it. She set it all on a tray and began her way out the kitchen.

"Mom, I can't figure out what I'm going to wear tonight on my date," Amy ran through knocking into Ashley most likely on purpose very hard.

Ashley cried out as she tried to keep her balance and her grip on the tray straight. She fell flat on her face; the china set crashing to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. The scalding tea splashed all over her. It stung horribly but what hurt more were the slivers of glass embedding Ashley's face and hands.

She kept herself from doing more than cry out. She felt tears fill her eyes at the pain. She got up wincing. Slivers were all in her hands and in her cheeks.

"What have you done?" Trudy screamed grabbing Ashley by the arm roughly.

"I-I'm sorry. I tripped," Ashley couldn't fight the tears.

"You're sorry?" Trudy's voice rose higher and higher. "That was my best tea set!" she smacked Ashley across the face so hard the girl fell back to the ground.

"Mother?" It was Elizabeth. "You have a visitor." She stepped back to reveal no other than Mr. Gold. He stared at Ashley who was still on the floor, not bothering to get up. Bloody cuts covered her face.

Trudy eyes widened in shock and she immediately stood up straighter and put on her 'people' smile. "Good afternoon Mr. Gold. Are you here for your monthly rent money?"

Gold didn't pay attention to Trudy and simply bent down extending his free hand that wasn't holding his cane to Ashley.

Ashley stared at him in surprise. This man was known to be hard and cruel. Why was he doing trying to help?

When Mr. Gold didn't say anything and kept his hand extended she took it. Their eyes locking. Ashley wasn't sure why she felt she knew him from somewhere. And by somewhere she didn't mean anywhere in StoryBrooke.

He pulled her to her feet. She winced and tears stung her eyes again from the sharp pain. He frowned and let go and turned her hand over to see the glass slivers. He let it go to look at Trudy. "Yes Mrs. Boyd, the rent," he said coolly.

Ashley stood in shock at what happened.

Trudy extended an envelope and Gold snatched it before disappearing out of the door just like that.

**Review! Thank you all for reviewing the first chapter.**


End file.
